Broad Narrows His Sites on Downtown

According to both the New York Times and the LA Times, Eli Broad appears to have settled once and for all on a Downtown LA site for his new museum, and has gone so far as to hold a new competition for its architect. Further background has it that Thom Mayne, who had been favored to design Broad’s museum, is now out, and the new finalists are Rem Koolhaas, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Herzog & De Meuron, Christian de Portzamparc, Foreign Office Architects, and recent Pritzker Prize winners SANAA. According to the New York Times, the jury appeared to favor Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Koolhaas. A choice, according to their story, could be made within the week. If built, the museum would be located on Grand Avenue just east of Frank Gehry’s Walt Disney Concert Hall and across the street from the LA Museum of Contemporary Art where he has played key roles recently in both keeping the museum on keel with a $30 million gift and steering it towards new director, Jeffrey Deitch. AN reported back on March 16 that Broad was leaning toward downtown for his museum. The site is currently slated for retail development within phase two of the now-stalled 3.5 million-square-foot Grand Avenue Project.